My Daily Pause

It is better to get wisdom than gold,
and to choose understanding rather than silver! – Proverbs 16:16 NCV

I am looking forward to another Biblepalooza tonight. When I think about the value we have gotten from doing these this year, I think about how highly Solomon placed wisdom in his priorities. Followed up by God rewarding him so richly for wanting wisdom above all else, we can understand how important God thinks it is.

Imagine how different the world would be if everyone dedicated 25% of their entertainment time to learning something.

What if we turned off the computers and televisions for 90 minutes and

• read from the Bible?
• had a deep conversation with someone smarter than ourselves?
• attended a class or lecture?
• read a non-fiction book?

These are the kind of things that increase not only what we know, but how well we can absorb new knowledge. The net effect will be our having ability to dig deeper into God’s word with greater understanding.

Daily Bible reading for October 18

Psalm 78
1 Kings 12:1-15
Ezekiel 40
Romans 9:30-10:21

Think about this for a minute: In Romans 1:18-23, Paul is saying that everyone should have a clue about God. He is specifically talking about the pre-Christian era Gentiles that had full access to the knowledge of God, but chose to ignore it in favor of the “ungodly and unrighteous.”

Wait a minute …

Even though the Jews were the chosen people, the Gentiles supposedly knew about God? Here are fifteen reasons why the answer is yes:

Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek — by Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1464–67

1. Adam was alive when Noah’s father Lamech was born. – Firsthand knowledge of God was available through to the flood!
2. Beginning post flood, 100% of the world once again knew and feared God.
3. Between Noah and Abram, God was worshipped and taught through the ministry of priests like Melchizedek
4. Through Hagar and Ishmael, the entire Arab nation knew of the one true God
5. Abraham taught Sodom and the eleven kings about God
6. Through Lot’s family the Moabites and Ammonites knew God.
7. Sodom and Gomorrah (and Lot’s wife) were punishments from God for wickedness
8. Abimelech heard directly from God in a dream because of Sarah
9. Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, knew God
10. Through Joseph, the Egyptians knew God
11. Moses reminded the Egyptians of God’s power through miracles attacking their popular gods.
12. Israel’s captors (the Persians and the Medes) were introduced to the power of God (Think Daniel, Esther, Ezra …)
13. The inhabitants of the promised land knew to be afraid when the ark was present
14. Jonah saved Nineveh
15. Gideon destroyed baal

So, back to Paul’s point, there is no excuse for not knowing God. I stopped at 15 key ways God made Himself known, but the list could go on. Even Plato and Cicero had an idea about the spirituality only known through God!

Therefore, it is man’s own fault when God is not known or ignored though his foolish heart. (Romans 1:22)

Daily Bible reading for October 5

Psalm 65
1 Kings 1:1-27
Ezekiel 26
Romans 1:18-32

Paul tells us that the scriptures were given to us by inspired writers (literally, God-breathed into them.) It has everything we need to carry out the great commission. (2 Timothy 3:16) With the scriptures we can:

• Teach others how to find salvation (Teach)
• Challenge our fellow Christians to improve (Reprove)
• Show ourselves and others where we see sin (Correct)
• Make progress toward righteousness (Train)

Solomon knew this too. In Proverbs 2 he lists the five fruits of Wisdom. Through listening and trying to understand (Proverbs 2:2) God’s words, these things begin to happen:

• We find God (Proverbs 2:1-8)
• We are rewarded with the love of knowledge (Proverbs 2:9-11)
• We are delivered from evil (Proverbs 2:12-15)
• We have safety from harlotry (Proverbs 2:16-19)
• We will receive a special inheritance (Proverbs 2:20-22)

The next step beyond a daily devotional reading, once it is a well rooted habit, is taking time to really try to understand what God has told us. A momentum begins to build and we become a reflection of his wisdom.

Daily Bible reading for June 4

Proverbs 2
Deuteronomy 5
Hosea 1:1-2:1
2 Timothy 3:10-4:8

When I read the story of Stephen (Acts 6 and 7), I see similarity in his situation and ours. We are trying to help others see the truth, only to be rebuffed. Those who have an audience are able to wrest the Scriptures just enough to create doubt in a weaker believer’s mind. Many atheists know what’s in the Bible better than many Christians! This is how those who support homosexual marriages, abortion, evolution and more are making progress in getting this stuff into the mainstream.

The defense to such attacks on the Bible has at least the following ingredients:

1. Study (2 Timothy 2:15)
2. Be ready to speak on the arguments used against the Bible (2 Timothy 4:2)
3. Quit remaining silent! (Romans 1:16)

We each have control of these building blocks. Together we can slow the momentum the godless seem to be gaining.

Daily Bible reading for Feb 9

Esau’s descendants are listed. Abijah defeats Jeroboam. Stephen rises and falls.

Psalm 39
Genesis 36
2 Chronicles 13
Acts 6:8-7:60

 ¹⁰ My child, listen and accept what I say.
Then you will have a long life.
¹¹ I am guiding you in the way of wisdom,
and I am leading you on the right path.
¹² Nothing will hold you back;
you will not be overwhelmed.
¹³ Always remember what you have been taught,
and don’t let go of it.
Keep all that you have learned;
it is the most important thing in life.
¹⁴ Don’t follow the ways of the wicked;
don’t do what evil people do.
¹⁵ Avoid their ways, and don’t follow them.
Stay away from them and keep on going,
¹⁶ because they cannot sleep until they do evil.
They cannot rest until they harm someone.
¹⁷ They feast on wickedness and cruelty
as if they were eating bread and drinking wine.

¹⁸ The way of the good person is like the light of dawn,
growing brighter and brighter until full daylight.
¹⁹ But the wicked walk around in the dark;
they can’t even see what makes them stumble. – Proverbs 4:10-19 NCV

Chapter 4 begins with the father’s advice to Seek Wisdom and he continues on to advise his son to be diligent to retain it.

Staying on the good and righteous way is contrasted with the pitfalls of being caught out on the dark paths. If you have ever been caught in the trap of one of the “major” sins you will have firsthand knowledge of the difficulty of repenting and putting it out of your life.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus shows us the difficulty God’s word (the seed) has growing in those who are not receptive (rocky, shallow and thorny ground), but how bountiful it grows in those who are (good soil).

The object then, is to tend to the good soil in our heart and soul by seeking wisdom through study and practice.